Page 63 of Tech

Daddy turns, and he smiles sadly, “Hey Tech….”

James’ eyes meet mine as he answers my father, “Can I have a moment with Brook, please, Peter?”

My eyes tear up again as my dad nods with understanding. He gives me a sad smile and walks over to my desk. Leaning over, Daddy kisses my head and whispers, “Just tell him everything, Petal; he loves you.”

I nod, and he turns and leaves me and James on our own, patting the man I love on the shoulder on his way out.

I lock eyes with James again, his eyes showing pain, anger, hurt, and confusion, and my tears fall.

I didn’t want this for him….

I wasn’t ready for him to know yet….

19

Tech

A loud bang causes me to spring up in bed in shock, my heart pounding while my right-hand goes to my Glock on my nightstand out of instinct.

“Brother, we need to talk,” Doc says, causing me to look his way. My eyes are still full of sleep, and my hand just touching my piece.

I look to the left side of the bed, already knowing she’s gone before my eyes lock onto the empty space.

Fucking woman!

I sigh but nod to Doc, who turns and gives me some privacy.

Anger courses through me when I lock eyes on the empty space again, and I shove the sheets off my naked body, grab my jeans off the floor, put them on, and head downstairs to see what the fuck Doc is doing here instead of at work.

As I go downstairs, I pass all the photos of my family, Brook’s family, and us littered on the walls, then stop near the back of the couch, placing my hands on my hips, trying to ignore the fury building at my girl being gone yet again.

I state, while raising a brow, “Brother, it’s nearly seven in the morning. Shouldn’t you be at work by now?”

His eyes glaze over, fear and concern billowing off him, and I tense as he bites his bottom lip and rasps, “I bumped into Brook….”

I sigh. “I love the woman, but fuck am I getting annoyed at her sneaking out every fucking morning,” I say, shaking my head.

Every damn morning. I can’t understand why she keeps disappearing. She knows I’ve put Momma in her place, she knows my father has barely said two words to his old lady, fuck even at the club’s BBQ, Breaker kept Nina busy while I spoke to Brook near the gate.

I kissed her, and she fucking kissed me back in front of everyone, yet here she is, disappearing.

Nothing makes sense. She knows I love her, she knows I regret allowing Momma to keep Nina at the club, and that I should have used my patch and voted to kick her out.

Why won’t she give me a chance to prove what she means to me?

“Brother, have you noticed how different she looks?” Doc asks, bringing me out of my head. I furrow my brows at him, and he continues, “Her cheeks are hallowed, bags underneath her eyes, she lost a lot of weight….”

My heart thunders; I had noticed but thought it was her stress because of the shit Momma put her through.

What does my brother know that I don’t?

I step forward and demand, “Just tell me why you’re here, Doc. Rip the band-aid off.”

Doc flinches and panic hits me as he whispers, “She’s not making things official with you again because, not only is Nina still around and you decided to fuck a clubwhore then let that crazy bitch Faith suck you, but also because she’s sick….”

Fuck’s sake, I made a mistake—okay, two—but I think I’ve beaten myself up enough about that, and she clearly forgave me, otherwise, she wouldn’t be in my fucking bed every night, plus, we weren’t even fucking together when I got with those bitches; she left me….

Wait, did he say…? I freeze, and my eyes widen.

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